177: DANA WACHS/Composer, Audio Engineer/Cat Power, MGMT, Grizzly Bear

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Dana Wachs is a Brooklyn based composer and audio engineer, that performs under the name Vorhees.

Dana studied cello and electric bass from an early age. At nineteen, she joined the DC hardcore group Holy Rollers (Dischord Records) and dove deep into a world of touring and live sound. Audio engineering would define the following twenty years of her life, starting with interning, and eventually assistant engineering at Greene Street Recording NYC. With the closure of the studio, Dana returned her focus to live engineering, which led to house positions at venerable New York venues such as Jazz at Lincoln Center, (le) Poisson Rouge, Tonic NYC, and Elsewhere Brooklyn.

She's also spent twenty years touring Internationally for critically acclaimed artists such as Cat Power, St. Vincent, Jon Hopkins, Deerhunter, Grizzly Bear, MGMT, (and many others), creatively mixing both FOH and monitors, as well as tour managing and production managing.

In 2009, she debuted her solo compositions and has since continued to work on her own music. She has performed at Basilica Soundscape 2013, Iceland Airwaves 2014, New York shows supporting Anna Meredith, Matmos, and Josef Van Wissem, as well as tours including supporting Beth Orton in Australia, Cat Power in America, and Deerhunter in the U.K. and Europe.

Vorhees debut EP, Black Horse Pike, was released in 2016 via Styles Upon Styles (Brooklyn). Black Horse Pike was written, recorded and produced by Dana Wachs in her Brooklyn home between tours.

In 2017, she composed and performed in parts II and III of a performance art piece titled Rural Violence, directed by Brandon Stousy (The Creative Independent), with part II presented by artist Matthew Barney. In conjunction, she collaborated with George Clarke of Deafheaven, forming the new duo Wachs & Clarke, for the 20 minute accompanying music piece RVIII: Invocation.

February 2019 saw the release of her latest work, "Tracks for Movement", a compilation of scores for dance and film.

Recently, Dana completed her first feature film score, "Confession", directed by Dayna Hanson (HBO's "Room 104" season 1 episode 6 "Voyeurs").

Today's episode is sponsored by Lensrentals. Use the code ROADIE15 for a 15% discount when you check out.

Special Mentions:

Save Music Venues

Vorhees Music

Soundgirls.org

Hard to Handle: The Life and Death of the Black Crowes--A Memoir – Steve Gorman

Right Place, Right Time: The Life of a Rock & Roll Photographer – Bob Gruen

Tour Supply GoFundMe Tour Health Research Initiative, ROADIE: My Documentary (TJ Hoffman film) Loud: A Life In Rock 'N Roll by the World's First Female Roadie. By Tana Douglas, The Last Seat in the House: The Story of Hanley Sound, The Power of Podcasting Panel at NAMM, Roswell Pro Audio Mini K87 Filming Great Concert Footage Roadie Short Film Roadie: A True Story (at least the parts I remember)